South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, an Indian-American, is under consideration by president-elect Donald Trump for secretary of state, and other cabinet positions, despite she spent most of the election season criticising Trump.
According to Trump's communication director Jason Miller and Republican National Committee spokesman Sean Spicer, the president-elect will be meeting Haley, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, Florida Governor Rick Scott, Cincinnati Mayor Ken Blackwell, Admiral Mike Rogers and Representative Jeb Hensarling on Thursday, CNN reports.
"During anxious times, it can be tempting to follow the siren call of the angriest voices. We must resist that temptation. No one who is willing to work hard, abide by our laws and love our traditions should ever feel unwelcome in this country," Haley said at the time from the governor's residence in Columbia.
However, Trump hit back at the South Carolina governor, saying at the time she was being "weak" on immigration. "She's very weak on illegal immigration. I feel very strongly about immigration. She doesn't," he said on Fox News' 'Fox & Friends'.
And ahead of the Republican South Carolina primary, Haley said Trump represents "everything a governor doesn't want in a president". She endorsed Trump's former presidential rival Florida Senator Marco Rubio when he was still in the race.
In October, she reversed her position, and said she was going to vote for him when he became the Republican nominee, but added that she was "not a fan".
During Wednesday's call with reporters, Spicer said the first wave of landing teams that will interact with agencies will be announced on Thursday, including the Justice Department, State Department and Defence Department.
Trump's transition team will announce the landing teams for economic and domestic policy next week, Spicer said.
Spicer also said anyone being vetted for a high post in the administration must provide a termination of lobbying form if they are registered lobbyists. In addition, when they leave the government, they will be banned from being a lobbyist for five years.
Haley was born Nimrata Nikki Randhawa in Bamberg, South Carolina, to Ajit Singh Randhawa and Raj Kaur Randhawa, immigrants from Amritsar District of Punjab, India.
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